The Montane Nightjar is about 22–24 cm long. It is active at night and hunts insects in highland forest and semi-open places.
It is about 22–24 cm long and weighs around 42–50 g.
It catches moths, beetles and grasshoppers in fast, agile flight above fields, pasture, open woodland and large gardens, and also takes insects attracted to lights or fires.
It breeds in small clearings at or near a tree or bush, laying normally two eggs directly on bare ground or leaf litter without building a nest.
Grey-brown upperparts carry dark streaks, with a buff hindneck collar and white throat patch. Males have more white on the wings and outer tail; females have smaller, buff-tinged wing spots and less white in the tail.
Immature birds are paler than adults and often more rufous.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.